The opportunity to break from recent liveries has been embraced with an eye-grabbing mix of fluorescent green and bare carbon
JAKE BOXALL-LEGGE
SUSPENSION
Sauber has switched to a pullrod front suspension layout for 2024. With the pushrod rear suspension package that was already in place, the team has settled upon the same set-up that Red Bull employed on its RB19. In theory, there’s no distinct advantage to selecting a pullrod over a pushrod; it ends up being largely a decision influenced by the aerodynamics of the car. Pushrods became the norm for having a slightly more agreeable local aerodynamic advantage, but there is an inescapable centre-of-gravity benefit to running the torsion bars lower down in the monocoque with the pullrod layout. It’s all a trade-off, and Sauber appears to believe that keeping the centre of gravity low is much more beneficial, a choice no doubt influenced by the performance shown by the underbody in simulations.
WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
Last year, the technical department at Sauber’s Hinwil base was bolstered by the addition of James Key, who had previously held the role of technical director at the Swiss squad between 2010 and 2012 before moving to Toro Rosso and later McLaren. The Briton departed McLaren amid a reshuffle in the engineering department at Woking, but will offer Sauber some crucial expertise.
The C44 is also dressed in an all-new livery after receiving title sponsorship from gambling company Stake and streaming platform Kick, with fluorescent green trim lining the bare-carbon bodywork. The green paint is produced by chemicals giant BASF, while the bare carbon choice is primarily a weight-saving measure.
SIDEPODS
To enhance the underbody flow, the sidepods have a heavy undercut treatment; like Red Bull, the leading edge of the inlet features an ‘underbite’ to serve as a clear delineation between the airflow for the inlet and that to be sent around the car’s midriff. The sidepods feature a bulge on the underside, like that of a pelican’s gullet, and there are likely two reasons for this. This helps maximise the space for any radiators within the bodywork, and should also restrict any lift created by the heavy sidepod undercut. On top of the sidepods, Sauber has persisted with the downwash trend, opting for a tweak over its 2023 design by creating a slight c
